The streets of downtown Dresden are looking a little more colourful now.
On Sunday, a new rainbow crosswalk was revealed at the intersection of Main Street and St. George Street.
In August, Councillor Jamie McGrail brought forward a successful motion requesting that municipal staff work with the Dresden Community Care Group and CK Pride to install a rainbow crosswalk in the community.
According to Myriam Armstrong, founder of the Dresden Community Care Group, making the crosswalk a reality, was a dream come true.
"It looks even better than what I envisioned," she said. "With the sunshine on [Monday] morning it looked beautiful, it just pops. It brightens the entire downtown."
Armstrong said she got inspired to bring the crosswalk to Dresden because she felt like it was more difficult for people in the LGBTQ+ community to feel welcomed in smaller communities.
"I took it upon myself to find a way to make them feel more welcome, maybe open some conversations. So far so good," she said. "I've had several calls from people and it's been a bit of an eye-opener."
Funding for the rainbow crosswalk will be covered by the Dresden Community Care Group through fundraising and in collaboration with CK Pride.
According to Armstrong, the group will continue to fundraise through the rest of the year to cover the costs. Currently, a raffle for a pair of bicycles is being held until the end of November. Armstrong said anyone who is interested in tickets should contact her through the Dresden Community Care Facebook page.
Armstrong is also encouraging residents from across Chatham-Kent to come out to the crosswalk to see it for themselves and take selfies with it.
The night it was painted, Armstrong said she took some time to sit at a nearby bench and observe people's reactions to it.
"A lot of people are stopping and looking at it and look pretty happy crossing. So far so good. No complaints, so we're pretty happy about that," she said.
In August 2018, a similar rainbow crosswalk was painted in downtown Chatham at the intersection of King Street and Forth Street.
